Police say four recent robberies on the streets of Allentown have a connection to the website.

While those crimes sting, they hurt only your wallet and your pride, not your hide. A series of recent robberies in Allentown shows street thugs also are looking for victims on Craigslist, and you need to take precautions so someone doesn't stick a gun in your face.

Jaylin J. Huggins, 20, is accused of robbing four people in Allentown while posing as someone wanting to buy, sell or exchange smartphones on Craigslist between Jan. 11 and Jan. 14. Several robberies occurred at gunpoint in broad daylight, police said.

Huggins, of Allentown, was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on three of the cases Wednesday but it was postponed. He told police the gun was a toy, according to court records.

From what I can tell, this type of crime isn't an epidemic, given the number of transactions made on Craigslist. City police describe it as an anomaly. But these also aren't the first incidents locally. You should always be on your guard, regardless of how friendly the buyer or seller seems online or on the phone.

"At any given time, you're going to have a percentage of people who are committed to defrauding people or out-and-out committing a crime," Allentown Assistant police Chief Joe Hanna said.

Hanna and Eric Kerchner, chief detective at the Monroe County district attorney's office, suggest Craigslist transactions be done in public, not at your home. Meeting in public tops the list of safety tips from Craigslist, too. But that isn't always enough.

This month's reported robberies in Allentown all occurred in public, on center city streets. The robberies in Bangor, Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township occurred outside, too.

Make sure the meeting place is in a high-traffic area where there will be plenty of witnesses, lights and possibly even surveillance cameras to deter any funny business. A street corner isn't sufficient if there's no one around, or if it's too dark for anyone to see anything. The robbery in Bethlehem several years ago occurred in an alley around midnight. You're just setting yourself up for trouble by meeting a stranger under those circumstances.

Make sure you're familiar with the location, and it isn't changed suddenly.

The robbery in Bangor occurred in the parking lot of Bangor Memorial Park. Police said the transaction was supposed to occur at a local convenience store, but the victim was redirected to the park after getting to the store.

Hanna said you should pick the time and the place, so you can't be set up.

"In almost all of these cases, it's been a situation where the suspect or suspects have controlled the time and the location of the transaction, which has created a degree of vulnerability for the victim," he said.

Armed robberies and violent crimes stemming from Craigslist ads are a problem nationwide. Last year, police in Oakland, Calif., set up a special unit to investigate them. Police in Milwaukee have suggested people meet at the police station to make their deals.

I've sold a handful of items on Craigslist. I've usually met the buyer in the parking lot of a convenience store or shopping center because I know there will be lots of people around. Don't be shy about doing that. While some businesses might not be crazy about hosting sales, it's not like I was setting up a flea market stand. Usually I'm in and out in a matter of minutes.

The only time I've ever agreed to meet someone at my home, which Craigslist advises against, was when I sold a desk that required a truck to move. I permitted that only after obtaining the buyer's full name and knowing where he worked. We made the exchange in the driveway.

When meeting someone, don't go alone, though taking backup unfortunately is no guarantee you'll be safe. In the recent Allentown cases, three of those who reported being robbed said they were accompanied by a friend or relative, as was the robbery victim several years ago in Bethlehem Township.

You can apply this advice to other situations, too, including when you're buying or selling something through newspaper classifieds, by word of mouth or on a community bulletin board.

The Watchdog is published Thursdays and Sundays. Contact me by email at watchdog@mcall.com, by phone at 610-841-2364 (ADOG), by fax at 610-820-6693, or by mail at The Morning Call, 101 N. Sixth St., Allentown, PA, 18101. Follow me on Twitter at mcwatchdog and on Facebook at Morning Call Watchdog.